Cafe Basque

"Café Basque Los Angeles is a love letter. Straddling the borders of France and Spain, wedged between the Pyrenees and the Atlantic, the Pays Basque (Basque Country) is fiercely independent and culturally and linguistically distinct from anywhere in the world. The cooking is joyful, generous and uncomplicated. Overflowing with excellent local products from the mountains and the sea, it has the particularity of being marked by the use of sweet and mildly hot peppers. Named after a town in the mountains above the port of St Jean de Luz, Espelette peppers were imported from central and south America in the 16th century and are a cornerstone of Basque cuisine in the same way that the American tomato has defined a large part of Italian cooking. Meanwhile, amid this rich culture and history, the Basque coast has been one of the world’s great surf destinations since the 1960s. Someone who writes a love letter is not necessarily a specialist on the subject and I do not pretend to be a specialist in Basque cooking. My love affaire is with France and its regions which have been an infinite source of inspiration to me for more than 20 years. To identify the essence of each cuisine and remain loyal to the approach and then to share it with each restaurant - colleagues and customers alike - is a source of particular personal satisfaction." — Chef Daniel Rose